Nets' Cam Thomas could get around $20 million APY in free-agency

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Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas is coming off arguably the most important season of his career to date given that he will be a free-agent for the first time in four seasons. Thomas seems to be in a unique place given that while he played well during the final season of his rookie deal, he was also unavailable for most of it. It seems like he's headed for a big payday either way, though.

"Few teams realistically can hand Thomas a big offer sheet, and Nets GM Sean Marks is unlikely to bid against himself. The (Detroit) Pistons may be the only other team able to offer him more than the mid-level," Brian Lewis of the New York Post when discussing Thomas' impending free-agency. Thomas is expected to miss the rest of the 2024-25 NBA season due to his left hamstring strain, but he will be a restricted free-agent after this season.

"As of now, it seems like the Nets have more leverage," NBA cap expert Yossi Gozlan said when asked about what Thomas' free-agency could look like, per Lewis. "I think Cam Thomas’ best chance at getting a big contract elsewhere is with a sign-and-trade due to his restricted status. I think he’s looking at a Collin Sexton-type annual salary, adjusted for inflation."

As many around the NBA try to do when the regular season is coming to a close, impending free-agents are being discussed in the vein of what their respective markets can look like. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto recently spoke on the topic, saying that after having conversations with various league personnel that no one seems to know what his exact market value could be given the lack of sample size that he put on tape during this season.

"A source told the Post Thomas could command in the $20 million to $22 million range," Lewis wrote. To give an idea of what Thomas' contract could be compared to based off last season's free-agency for guards, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed a 3-year, $66 ($22 million per year) million contract with the Orlando Magic while Malik Monk inked a 4-year, $77.9 ($19.4 million APY) million deal to go back to the Sacramento Kings.

What could influence what Thomas gets paid this summer could have more to do with what money is available as opposed to teams think of his value to a team. Per Spotrac, the Nets have $91.8 million in projected practical cap space while the Detroit Pistons have the second-most projected practical cap space at just $24.6 million. Obviously, anything can change once the season is over, but if those figures hold, Thomas may only be able to get the money he deserves if he stays with the Nets.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Cam Thomas could get around $20 million APY in free-agency

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